The Manor
by Cheesecake Superstar
Summary: The Manor. Café by day, mysterious cabaret by night. Ciel Phantomhive didn't expect to be dragged into the world of demons and reapers through the seductive bartender and the hyperactive dancer, but he still was. How would his life change thanks to it? (Rated T for now, for language. This is a yaoi fic. If you don't like yaoi, turn away from this fic right now.)
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: So here it is, a brand new story from me. God, do I need to update my other fics...**

**Anyway, this is a new idea I've been working on for a while. I've got four and a half chapters so far, at the time I'm uploading this, and I'm intent on working on other chapters as soon as possible. I plan to upload the chapters I have and then work on updates for my other works before I continue with this, so I'll space out my updates on this one for you guys.**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

The Manor Café. A place for people to meet up after work, for people to indulge in their own solitude and... for people to fall in love.

I didn't expect it to happen at first, but it hit me like a ton of bricks when it did.

* * *

"Ciel!" My girlfriend, Elizabeth Midford, called out excitedly as she ran up to me. She was wearing a light pink tank top and matching pink jeans, the look completed with a pair of white sunglasses covering her green eyes and a pair of white flats on her feet.

"Elizabeth," I acknowledged her as she threw her arms around me. I returned the embrace, albeit a lot less enthusiastically.

"Ciel, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Lizzie!"

I rolled my eyes before responding. "What did you want? I'm a bit busy right now."

I was trying to fill out a stack of paperwork that had been dumped on my desk this morning and Elizabeth was, right now, distracting me from doing so. Not filling out the tons of sheets of paper before me could very likely cost me my job.

"I wanted to see my lovely Ciel, of course!" Elizabeth grinned, before pouting. "You spend too much time here."

"It's my job, Elizabeth. I have to be here when I am."

This seemed to go on for a while until my boss, a strict woman- who really just put on a strict façade- called Angelina Dalles, interrupted us.

"Ciel? Didn't I tell you 'no visitors'?" She scolded, though there seemed to be an edge of joking in her voice.

"I-I'm sorry, aunt. Elizabeth just-"

Oh, yeah. I better mention now that Miss Dalles- though she prefers to be called Madame Red- is my aunt. She offered me a job working for her as soon as I was old enough.

"Now, now. Don't be making pitiful excuses. Your sex life can stay at home."

"Aunt!" I exclaimed, heat rising in my cheeks. I looked over at Elizabeth and she was blushing just as deeply, maybe even more so.

"I'm kidding! But, seriously, you're going to need to leave, Lizzie." Madame Red stated.

"Okay..." Elizabeth sighed. She hugged me again before turning to leave.

"You haven't forgotten our date at lunch, right, Ciel?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Of course not. I'll see you then," I replied, watching Elizabeth walk out of the room.

A lunchtime date. It wasn't particularly the usual time for a date, but if it made Elizabeth happy, I had to go along with it.

We were meant to be going to a new café that had just opened down the street from the offices I worked at: The Manor. I was confused by the name at first, but Elizabeth insisted we go there. Apparently, one of her friends had just visited and said it was "the most fabulous experience ever!"

I doubted it would really be that good, but it was worth at least seeing it. The place was close to where I worked and, to be honest, I never really got out much during my lunch break. It might be just what I needed to fill the dull hour and a half I got for lunch each day.

The rest of the morning seemed to pass rather dully. Not much happened, other than the occasional accident caused by the three caretakers of the building.

Mey-rin, Bardroy and Finnian were the three given the job of tending to the office and making sure everything was clean each day. A janitorial team, if you must. Mey-rin had to do the basic job of cleaning, Bard supplied everyone with food throughout the day and Finny kept the gardens around the building looking nice and clean.

They did a good job, to an extent.

The only thing was when they messed up, which seemed to be an awful lot of the time.

I let out a sigh, stretching back in my chair as I glanced out of the large window in my office. The billboard that I could plainly see was one for the company I worked for. Funtom Industries; the country's most well-known brand of toys and confectionery goods.

The company belonged to my mother and father, before they passed. Seeing as I wasn't of age when they died, Madame Red took over the company in my place. By the time I was old enough, though, I decided I didn't want to run the company myself, anyway. My aunt happily accepted to stay in charge; honestly, I just think she likes bossing people around too much.

Standing up and leaving the office, I picked a small, crimson rose from one of the bushes that decorated the interior of the building as I headed down to the ground floor to meet Elizabeth.

I never really had cared for elevators, choosing instead to use the stairs to get downstairs. It may take longer, but at least it doesn't leave my legs feeling like gelatine afterwards.

Elizabeth ran up to me with a bright grin on her face, enveloping me in a hug almost instantly.

"Ciel! I thought you'd never get here. You used the stairs again, didn't you?"

"You know me too well, Elizabeth," I smiled ever so slightly as I handed her the rose I had picked earlier.

"A red rose; the symbol of passion. Aw, Ciel," Elizabeth beamed. "It's so cute! I love it."

"I'm glad you do," I smiled again, before offering out a hand for Elizabeth to take. She did so, emerald eyes gleaming with happiness.

We walked hand-in-hand down the street, Elizabeth randomly chatting about something or other that happened to one of her friends as we went.

The street seemed busy, but not overly crowded; just a neutral mass of passersby that wouldn't prove too annoying.

"Isn't that right, Ciel?" Elizabeth asked me. Crap. I hadn't been paying attention.

I remained silent.

"Ciel?" She asked again. "You weren't even listening, were you?"

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, I wasn't. I was too captivated by how lovely you look today."

Nice save, Ciel. Nice save...

"Aw, that's so cute! Alright, you're forgiven."

"Thanks... Lizzie."

"Ah! You called me 'Lizzie'!" Elizabeth exclaimed, delighted.

Within a few more moments, Elizabeth stopped walking.

"We're here!" She exclaimed, pointing to the building in front of us.

It seemed nice and welcoming from the outside, a little wooden sign with the words 'The Manor' inscribed upon it in fancy lettering. The outside of the building had been painted a gentle cream and ivy was growing across one wall in quite an intricate pattern, that had obviously only formed due to careful maintenance.

Inside, however, was a different story. The calm, homely exterior was a sly decoy to the real café.

The walls were painted a variety of rich reds, with streaks of gold flicked almost haphazardly amongst them. Luxurious, dark wooden tables were littered across the marble floor and genuine leather chairs accompanied them perfectly.

The kitchens were tucked away at the back of the building, with a door leading round to them from what seemed to be a bar in front of it.

My jaw dropped in awe and Elizabeth laughed at my stunned expression.

"I told you you'd like it, Ciel!" She grinned, walking over to a table and sitting down.

Like it? The place was absolutely breathtaking!

Behind the bar was a young man, no older than twenty-five, with stunning raven black hair and oddly captivating crimson eyes. He was stunning to look at, his perfectly sculpted pale face being framed by those gorgeous black locks.

"Ciel, do you mind going and ordering our drinks?" Elizabeth asked hopefully. "I'd like a chamomile tea, if that's okay with you."

"Yes, of course," I nodded, walking carefully through the labyrinth of tables to get to the bar at the other end.

The mysterious, crimson-eyed man smiled as I approached the bar. A fake smile, how cliché for a bartender.

"What will you be ordering, sir?" He asked, his voice deep and full of just as much mystery as he was himself.

"Two chamomile teas, if that's alright," I said, deciding to just have the same drink as Elizabeth.

"Yes, my Lord," the bartender nodded, before recounting my order to a redhead that had just walked up to him.

"Oh, Bassy! You're asking for me to help?" The redhead swooned, swaying from side to side.

"Yes, Grell. Now, go," 'Bassy' sighed, gesturing towards the kitchen door. Grell ran off into the kitchen without another word. "I'm sorry about him, he'll be back shortly. Feel free to wait here in the meantime."

I did just that, sitting precariously on top of one of the barstools. This place really wasn't like any café I had been to in the past. It had the aura of some sort of club, but it looked like a normal place to socialise. The staff were mysterious, especially the bartender, and something just seemed... off.

"You know, you really should see this place at night," the bartender began. "It's truly something else."

"Oh, really?" I asked, my interest instantly directed.

"Just come here at ten. Then you'll see," he winked, handing me the two mugs of tea as Grell strolled back out with them.

"I think I will," I muttered, taking the tea and walking back to Elizabeth.

"So, Ciel... Do you think you'll be coming back here?" Elizabeth asked as she took her cup of tea and I sat across from her.

"Yeah. I think I will."

"Great!"

* * *

**9.50pm.**

I was ten minutes early, but I was already outside The Manor.

'Should I go inside, or just stay out here for a bit?' I thought to myself as the wind seemed to pick up, chilling me slightly.

A blond, roughly twenty years of age, a year older than myself, hurried up to the door of the café. He stopped with his hand on the door handle and looked straight at me, cerulean eyes boring into my own azure ones.

"What are you doing out here, standing around like an idiot?" He asked, looking at me incredulously.

"I- um... I..."

"Come on! You're gonna be late!" The blond exclaimed as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the building with him.

"Late? Look, I think you're confusing me for someone."

"Sebastian asked you to come here at ten, didn't he?" The man, who still had a grip on my wrist, asked.

"The bartender?" I asked, receiving a nod. "Yeah, he told me to come at ten. Why?"

"Welcome to The Manor," The blond beamed, making a grand gesture with his spare arm. "A place of fun, danger and..."

The blue-eyed man leaned in dangerously close to my ear, before seductively whispering:

"Love."

My eyes widened as I took in the sight of what The Manor now looked like. The red and gold walls still remained intact, but the tables and chairs had been moved to one side of the room. To the other side, attatched to the base of the wall perpendicular to the bar, was a stage of sorts.

Dancers of both genders stalked around the stage, providing background entertainment to a singer that seemed to be holding quite a few people's attention.

I noticed the mysterious bartender, Sebastian, still at the bar like he was this afternoon. It was as if he hadn't moved, but I knew he must have. He was dressed in a different outfit.

Rather than the casual shirt and trousers he had worn earlier, Sebastian was now wearing a formal white dress shirt, long black trousers and a black tailcoat. I chuckled a little. He looked like a butler, dressed like that.

"Oh, yeah!" The blond snapped me out of my thoughts. "We still haven't got your name."

"Ciel Phantomhive," I replied as coolly as I could manage.

"Nice to meet ya, Ciel! I'm Alois Trancy, main attraction at The Manor here at night time."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, too," I replied.

"You really do talk posh, don't you?" Alois laughed.

"I can clearly tell that you don't," I responded, sighing a little. "So, why am I here?"

"Simple," I heard a new voice chime in. Looking up, I saw Sebastian all but towering over me from where he stood. "You're going to be working here from now on of a night."

"Excuse me?" I choked out, taken aback. Working there? "I already have a job!"

"I'm sure it won't interfere with this one. Welcome to the Manor, Ciel."

My eye widened and I felt myself being ushered forwards by Alois.

"Come on... We open in a minute."

I glanced up to the clock that hung above the bar.

**10.20pm.**

It had really been half an hour already?

"What am I even meant to be doing here?" I asked.

"You're gonna be working the same job as me. Singing and dancing to entertain," Alois explained simply.

"What?" I choked again, that being the second time I had been shocked in the space of five minutes. "Look, Alois. I don't sing... Or dance."

"About time you learned then, Ciel," Alois smirked.

The redheaded male I'd seen earlier today came walking up to us.

"This is him?" He asked, strangely excited. "Ah, I'll make you look beautiful!" His yellow-green eyes sparkled mischievously and I deadpanned.

Just what was I getting into?

* * *

**A.N: There you go! Chapter one, done. I'll try and upload the next chapter when I find the time to, so sometime during the week. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: Update time! :)**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Two**

* * *

The next day, at work, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.

How had such an innocent-looking café by day transformed into a modern cabaret by night?

I had been stuffed into ill-fitting tight clothes that left nothing to the imagination and was forced onto the stage with no clue of what I was supposed to do.

The music had started, I remember, and I just stood back in the shadows.

People were calling out profanities and complaining and I just couldn't handle it. I had been thrown out into the open so suddenly that I didn't know what to really expect.

Eventually, Alois had rushed onto the stage and began performing in my place. I swear, I hadn't felt more embarrassed before that moment.

"Ciel, what was that?" Sebastian had asked, shocked.

"Well, what did you expect? You shoved me out there without a second thought to it!" I had argued, raising my voice.

"Looks like we'll still have to train you, then. What a pain."

After that, I had been introduced to the other people that worked in the café during the day and night.

First of all, I was more formally introduced to the redhead- Grell Sutcliff. He seemed to be rather unhealthily obsessed with Sebastian, but the bartender just pushed away his actions dismissively every time.

Then, I met Claude Faustus. He had black hair, much like Sebastian, and he wore rectangular-framed glasses over his golden eyes.

That's another thing I had noticed. Everyone's eyes were a strange color, apart from Alois'.

Next, I had been introduced to three triplets- Thompson, Timber and Canterbury. They were identical in every way, apart from the positioning of their fringes. I'd have to remember which hairstyle belonged to which triplet in order to identify them.

The triplets were subordinates, undergoing basic cooking training from the next person I was introduced to- Hannah Annafellows. She had dark skin and she wore a bandage over one eye. I wondered what made her need the bandage, but decided not to question it. Alois seemed to glare at me as I looked at it.

* * *

I seemed to be too into my thoughts. I wasn't able to concentrate at all during the day and, on more than one occasion, I found myself sketching images of either Alois or Sebastian on a scrap piece of paper.

"Ciel, what's wrong? You seem awfully out of it today," Madame Red stated as she walked into the room for the fifth time that morning.

"I'm fine, aunt," I muttered in reply.

"Whatever," she sighed. "Just remember that all that paperwork has to be handed in at the end of tomorrow."

I stared at the impossible pile of paper in front of me. The end of tomorrow? I was doomed...

* * *

9.50pm.

It was that time again.

I had been told to come back to The Manor again.

At first, I was thinking not to. Then, curiosity and attraction got the better of me.

I found out that I had actually enjoyed the previous night, regardless of how embarrassed I had been at first.

Alois was outside again, looking at me rather peculiarly, before he grabbed my wrist.

"You'll catch your death one day, keep standing outside like an idiot," he scolded, all but dragging me into the little café.

Inside, it looked the same as it had yesterday. The tables and chairs were pushed over to one side and the red and gold walls seemed even more vibrant than before. This time, subtle lights hung from the ceiling and illuminated the carpeted floor below.

It seemed more calm, more tranquil, in here than it did yesterday. Maybe it was because I hadn't been haphazardly forced in here and given a job on the spot today.

Sebastian walked up to me, taking extraordinarily long strides as he did.

"You came back, Ciel," he chimed.

"What can I say? This place is intriguing."

"That it is," Sebastian agreed.

"Hey! What are you gonna do about your stage fright, Ciel?" Alois asked.

"I have not got stage fright! I was spooked and I had no idea of what I was meant to do!" I protested.

"You're going to teach him what he needs to know, Alois. After all, you are the star of the Manor."

"What?" Alois choked. "Why me? Why can't Claude teach him?"

"Alois, don't argue with me. You're going to teach Ciel how to be a cabaret dancer whether you like it or not," Sebastian persisted and I sweatdropped.

"Do I even get a say in all this?"

"No. Now, go with Alois to start your training. We'll get a secondary dancer to fill Alois' spot in tonight's show."

With an irritated sigh, Alois grabbed my wrist and began to lead me off somewhere.

"You know, you should be lucky I'm teaching you all this," Alois commented casually as we walked.

"Really?" I asked. "How can I be lucky to be taught by someone that doesn't even want to teach me?"

"Because I'm the best here, Ciel. I never teach anyone else- that's usually Claude's job," Alois explained, though his tone seemed to be subtly laced with venom. "I don't see why Sebastian likes you so much, anyway. You're just like all the others he's taken a liking to."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh... Did you really think the people here were normal, Ciel? Me and you, we're the only humans working at The Manor."

"I'm not following, Alois. What do you mean we're the only humans here? Surely Claude, Sebastian and all the others are just like us... right?"

Alois suddenly pinned me up to a wall, a hand holding back each shoulder so I couldn't move.

"People here... aren't human. They're creatures that take on human forms. They deceive humans with their similar appearances, but they're only after one thing. Human souls.

"Sebastian and Claude, as well as Hannah and the triplets, they're demons. They make contracts with humans for their souls, or they just take them straight away.

"Grell, William and Ronald are Shinigamis. Grim Reapers. They wait until a human is due to die and then they take their souls.

"See, we aren't alone in this world."

By the time Alois had finished, my eyes were as wide as saucers. Demons and Reapers didn't exist. They were works of fiction; a fairytale. Right?

Obviously not.

"You're kidding me, right? If this place is run by demons and reapers, why are you here?"

"Same reason as you, Ciel. A demon took a liking to me," Alois let go of one of my shoulders, running his now spare hand through his hair. "Demons can be very... persuasive when a human is bent on enacting revenge. I'm contracted with Claude, but Sebastian is the only other one who knows that."

"So... I'm here because a demon wants to eat my soul?"

I was confused, to say the least. At first, I knew The Manor was a little suspicious. I mean, café by day and cabaret by night? That sort of thing only happens in fanfictions or poorly-plotted television shows.

But... To be made to work here, in a place full of creatures that hunt souls, because one demon took a liking to me on first impressions. It all seemed a little farfetched to me.

The whole aspect of this was too cliché for me to genuinely apprehend, but I knew deep down that it was probably all true.

"Exactly! Because you want revenge, a demon is willing to make a contract with you!" Alois exclaimed. Then, he let go of me entirely and I stumbled forwards at the sudden movement.

Unfortunately, Alois hadn't actually moved that far away so I crashed into him and knocked both of us to the ground. I braced myself to hit the ground hard, but I instead landed directly on top of Alois, my lips mere centimetres from the blond's. My reaction next seemed to startle Alois.

To put it calmly, I freaked out and scrambled to my feet, close to hyperventilation.

"Whoa, calm down," Alois chuckled as he stood up. "Things like that don't need such a freak-out session."

"You are kidding me, right? That was totally necessary," I said calmly, brushing myself off. "Now, come on. Are you teaching me how to be a dancer here, or what?"

"Of course!" Alois replied. "Just follow me until we get to the practice room..."

I did as I was instructed and I patiently followed Alois to an empty room at the back of the building.

The floorboards were made of a somewhat strong, polished wood and three of the four walls were a crystal white. The other wall was covered in a large pane of mirror, reflecting the dim light coming from the double doors on the opposite wall that lead to a small garden outside. Alois and I had entered the room through a door in the corner of the wall adjacent to the mirrored one. The blue-eyed blond next to me flicked a light switch on and the room lit up.

I could clearly see the light brown floor, the white walls and the shiny mirrors. The room was seemingly immaculate, but as I looked in the corners, I could see all the cobwebs and spiders that littered the place.

This place really did look like the cliché, stereotypical type of dance studio. I wonder if I was meant to learn some form of ballet here at one point...

"Taking in the view, Ciel?" Alois asked with a small grin.

"This place looks so stereotypical, it doesn't fit in with the rest of The Manor." I noted.

"Well, obviously. This place is my own personal retreat. It's part of the original building, from before Sebastian converted it into a café-slash-cabaret," The blond next to me stated, strolling causally into the room. "I come here to practice my routines during the day, when the place is a café. No one can bother me here, but I still feel so lonely here during the day. So, usually, I get Claude to come down here and keep me company."

Alois was now staring out of one of the bay windows on the wall with the double doors. It was dark outside, so I'm not sure what exactly he could have been looking at.

"Anyway, we better get started. Time's already against us, you know."

With that, I briefly glanced at my watch.

* * *

11.25pm.

Had it really been that long already? I swear, I'd lose track of the days if I stayed here too long.

"Yeah, of course. It's really late already."

Alois walked back over to me, but stopped a few steps short. He started dancing, twirling around with his arms pointed directly above him in a sort of flamenco fashion until he came to a stop directly beside me.

With a few claps, he exclaimed "Olé!' and I was just left confused.

"First rule of cabaret dancing- always know your routine. Here, I'll show you a few basic steps..."

The next few hours seemed to pass like that- Alois demonstrating a basic move and me trying to replicate it, poorly of course. I knew I had two left feet when it came to dancing, so did Alois, but the blond remained intent on trying to teach me as much as he could until the clock hit 2.30am.

"Come on, Ciel, one last time! You've got to learn this!"

"Your determination is wonderful, Alois, but I have to go. Remember, I have work in the morning."

"But, why? You're only nineteen!"

"So? In Britain, we can legally work from the age of eighteen. You know that," I stated, heading for the door.

"But you landed yourself an office job straight away. That seems a bit dumb to me," Alois retorted. "Why not live a little first?"

"I am living a little. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Well, why not work here full time? Be like me, working at night and having fun during the day!" Alois offered and I sighed.

"As much as I respect your offer, I need the money I get at my current job. Because I didn't take the company over from my parents, I'm not living a cushy lifestyle. I work to keep myself fed and housed."

"You could live here! I do and I'm perfectly fine!"

"I'm going to have to decline, Alois. I like my job. Besides, what would I do about my girlfriend? She'd flip out if she found out I was quitting my job to work here."

"That girl seems to just be weighing you down. Do what you feel is right."

"I will. Right now, that's me keeping my job."

"Whatever," Alois sighed. "Just leave. I've made you ten minutes late already. You need your precious sleep, don't you?"

Without another word, I walked out of the room.

I turned back briefly to see Alois still in there, watching me as I walked away.

There was something about him that intrigued me. Something I didn't quite know yet...

I walked back out into the main café area of the building, prepared to leave, when Sebastian stopped me.

"Going so soon?" He asked. He looked innocent, but his tone contrasted.

"Yeah, I need some sleep. I'm going home so I can work efficiently tomorrow," I explained, attempting to walk past him.

Sebastian grabbed one of my shoulders, halting me from moving any further.

"Why leave? We have plenty of rooms here~"

"No, thanks. I'd prefer to sleep in my own bed."

"Fine. Have it your way. We'll see you tonight, yes?" Sebastian asked, looking quite hopeful.

"Yes. Maybe during the day, too. I do need some lunch sometimes, after all."

* * *

**A.N: Boom! Chapter two- uploaded!**

**Have a great day, everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N: Yay! Sporadic updates for the win! *fake-enthusiasm***

**I should have uploaded this days ago. Blame school. Thank the Heavens I have the whole of this week off!**

**Anyway, you don't wanna hear me complaining. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it! Trust me, if I did I wouldn't be here right now XD**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

It had been several weeks now, since that one fateful day that seemed so long ago.

I was sitting at my desk, refreshingly void of any paperwork. Flicking a small switch on the corner of the monitor, I switched on my computer screen and watched it come alive. The computer itself had been running for a while now and I hadn't been too bothered to switch it off when I had previously finished with it.

The desktop loaded and I noticed a little email notification in the corner.

It was from Alois.

'You coming to The Manor at lunch today?'

I looked at the clock in the corner of the screen. **12:27pm**. It was nearly time for my lunch break.

'Sure, why not? I'll meet you there at 12:45.' I replied, just catching the notification for Alois' reply of 'Great!' before I shut the computer down.

* * *

**12.43pm.**

Two minutes early. Not bad.

"Hey, Ciel!" Alois waved from across the room.

I walked over to where he was perched on one of the leather chairs and sat opposite him at the wooden table.

"So, you came."

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?" I replied with a small, but noticeable, smirk.

"I thought you'd stand me up like you did last time..." Alois mumbled.

"I'm sorry about that, Alois," I said as I recalled what happened when Alois and I met again, after that incident...

_"You bitch! You said you'd meet me!" Alois snapped, obviously annoyed._

_I hadn't meant to stand him up like that, but I had a previously scheduled date with Elizabeth._

_"I know I did! I'm sorry, okay?"_

_"Sorry? You think sorry's gonna cut it... heh... I could kill you right now, you know. All it takes is an order to Claude..."_

_"Look, Alois. I wanted to decline when you asked me, but you looked so damn intent that I couldn't say no."_

_"So, what? You thought you'd just leave me waiting around like a dick, instead?" Alois' voice dropped to just above a whisper. "Some friend you are."_

"Eh, don't mention it. I'm over that now."

Just like that? Heck, it was only a week ago. He sure does recover from things quickly- either that, or he's secretly bipolar.

"Okay, then," I said, before attempting to change the conversation topic. "So, how's your new routine coming? Finished enough for me to start learning it, yet?"

"Actually, that's why I wanted to meet with you. Sebastian wanted to do it, but I insisted," Alois explained, the mood in the room suddenly turning quite serious.

I looked around. The lights had dimmed, apart from a single spotlight that seemed to cast down upon Alois and myself. Nobody else was in the room, unlike a few moments earlier where the café was crowded.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked, trying my best to stay calm. It wouldn't last for long; I was panicking already.

"You've been here for a few weeks now, nearly a month." I looked at Alois to see Claude standing behind him.

"I know that. So what?"

"So, Michaelis wants to form a contract with you. You know that. Are you really ready for that?" Claude asked.

I had to think about that. Did I really want that? Did I really want to be contracted to a demon? If I didn't agree, Sebastian would probably just take my soul anyway.

I had no choice. Whatever happened, I'd lose my soul and die.

"I haven't got a choice, have I? I'd rather die with my revenge fulfilled than die for nothing. The people who killed my parents can rot in hell if I agree."

"Smart move, Ciel," I heard another voice join in with the conversation.

Sebastian walked into the room and stood beside where I was sitting.

"Michaelis, what are you doing here?" Claude asked, venom in his tone. "You said you were away for the day."

"I was, until I caught wind of Ciel being here and immediately linked it back to you two."

"Sebastian, I'm assure you we mean nothing by this. We're just warning him," Alois smirked. "We don't want a filthy demon like you to get your paws on my Ciel."

"Yours, Alois? Excuse me, but I never agreed to that!" I protested.

"Filthy demon?" Sebastian repeated, an amused smile on his face. "You call me a filthy demon when your own is a mere spider?"

"Shut up, Sebastian!" Alois snapped.

"I know the real reason you two are acting like this is because you want The Manor for yourselves. Am I right, Alois Trancy?"

"You aren't. I don't want The Manor. All I want now is Ciel. If I have him, you can't ever be truly happy. That's what I want."

"Both of you, stop this!" I yelled, my heart pounding and my head aching.

Sebastian and Alois both looked straight at me.

"I have no clue about what's going on here!" I exclaimed.

"I guess we should explain things to you, Ciel, but there's nothing to explain."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I mean that whatever I explain to you, you'll already know it. This is all as simple as the logic you've aquired in your time here."

I thought about that for a while. As simple as all the logic I'd already aquired?

I knew about the fact that people here were either demons or reapers, and I knew that both Alois and I were the only humans working here.

Also, I knew that Sebastian would willingly form a contract with me so that I could get my revenge on all the people who had treated me wrong in my life... In exchange for my soul.

"I understand," I eventually stated.

"Do you?" Sebastian asked, kneeling down so he could look directly into my eyes from where I sat.

"I do," I nodded.

"Then you know how simple this will be."

"How simple what will be?"

"The contract. You get your revenge, I get your soul when it's done. Deal?"

I took a deep breath and looked over at Alois and Claude. Alois looked back at me, a pleading expression upon his face. Claude avoided any eye contact with me, obviously not caring what my decision was.

"Don't do this, Ciel. You can live without revenge..." Alois muttered.

"How ironic, you saying that, Trancy. Wasn't that the whole reason you summoned Claude? Your own desire of revenge?" Sebastian laughed.

"Indeed it was, but I'm intent on keeping Ciel away from you. You can't be trusted!"

"I'm sure he's capable of making his own decisions. So, what is it Ciel?"

"I... I..."

I thought about it. For my whole life, ever since my parents died, I had wanted their murderers to pay. I couldn't refuse an option like this. Taking up the contract would assure that the goal I had wanted to achieve for the past seven years was reached...

"I'll do it. I'll form a contract with you, Sebastian."

Alois gasped and slammed his fist onto the table. "No! You can't do it!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Trancy," Sebastian smirked, turning to me again. "He's made up his mind."

Sebastian placed his hand over my right eye and I screamed out in agony as my eye more or less began burning. The pain seared unbearably for a good few minutes before the hand was removed and I could manage to open my eye again.

Alois sighed as he saw my eye. He grabbed a compact mirror from his jacket pocket and tossed it to me. Catching it, I looked at what Sebastian had done.

On my right eye, what used to be blue was now a deep shade of purple, with a lilac symbol emblazoned upon it. I looked over at Sebastian and saw his hand with the exact same symbol upon it- his contract symbol. He passed me a jet black patch to cover the eye up before speaking again.

"Welcome to the Manor at last, Ciel. You're one of us now."

Sebastian grinned. Alois sighed. Claude appeared indifferent.

This was going to be a long day...

The lights flickered back to life and, shortly afterwards, so did the rest of the café.

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

* * *

**2.50pm.**

I had completely missed the end of my lunch break!

As quickly as I could, I bolted out of the Manor and down the street to the grand office block in the middle of the city. I couldn't even begin to imagine how annoyed Madame Red would be with me now.

I took the stairs, two at a time, sprinting all the way up to the sixth floor where my own office was located. Before anyone could notice I'd even entered the room, I'd slid into my office chair and flicked the computer on.

Now, all that was left was to brace myself for the surprise appearance of my aunt.

"Ciel! You're only just back?"

And there it was...

"My sincerest apologies, aunt, I managed to become distracted," I managed to respond as smoothly as I possibly could.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again, Ciel. I might just have to fire you."

The tone that Madame Red used seemed at first like she was only joking, like she usually was, but there seemed to be a hidden trace of a real threat within it.

"I promise, aunt."

"And what's up with your eye, Ciel?" Madame Red asked, leaning closer to inspect the patch over my right eye. "You didn't get into a fight, did you?"

"N-no! Of course not! It's just... It's going a bit funny in bright light right now so I'm covering it up for a while," I lied, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. Well, I highly doubt she would believe me if I began to spurt tales about demons, reapers and contracts.

"Well, make sure that eye gets better. We can't have you using only one now, can we?" Madame Red chuckled as she left the room.

"Of course not..." I sighed, but there was nobody there to hear me.

I got up from the chair and walked over to the small mirror that hung up on the wall, just level with my face. The black patch that Sebastian had given me just fit over my eye, the long strings at either end wrapping snugly around the rest of my face. With a small tug, the patch came off and the strings came undone.

Sighing softly, I looked at what my eye looked like now. The strong purple colour was still vibrant and the symbol was still there, but now I finally got the chance to see the intricate little details on the symbol itself. It was a pentagram, quite obviously, the basic type of demonic contract symbol. The more detailed parts were the ring outside the pentagram itself and the tiny little patterns inside the star.

The symbol seemed to glow slightly as I looked at it, obviously responding to its owner... or something weird like that...

A voice lingered in the back of my head.

"Call and I will answer..."

At first, I didn't believe what I was hearing. I had a half a mind to believe that I was becoming schizophrenic. Then I recognised who's voice it actually was... Sebastian's.

Call and he would answer? That could come in handy...

That night, I began my short trek home.

Despite the money I had, I still only lived in a complex of apartments. I didn't want to flash the money I owned like most other rich people did. Instead, I stuck with the simpler option of living in a small-ish, four-room apartment on roughly £100 per month in rent.

I felt more at home living in a smaller area, rather than a large manor. Smaller places meant that there was less room for loneliness. In an apartment complex, I had friendly neighbours. In a manor, I'd be stripped of that nicety.

Opening the front door of my apartment, after trekking up the stairs and unlocking said door, I stepped in and threw my keys on the sideboard. I latched the door behind me and wandered over to the small sofa in the middle of the living room, before all but collapsing backwards onto it.

I looked up at the wall where a small clock rested. **8.57pm**, it read.

I wasn't entirely sure whether or not to go to the Manor tonight. After the events of earlier that day, I didn't exactly know what to expect. To be honest, I didn't even feel entirely safe in my own home.

I'd been reading up on demonic contracts whenever I got the slightest amount of free time over the past six hours and I'd found out that demons could actually sense the location of wherever the other party to the contract was. Basically, there was a chance that Sebastian could appear at my apartment at any time.

The hours passed and I looked up at the clock again, after waking up when I had somehow fallen asleep. 11.54pm.

There was no way I was going to the Manor tonight...

I stretched and got out of my seat, before walking over to my bedroom. I had already opened the door earlier, when I had got up at some point to kick my shoes off, so I only had to bother with shutting it again after I turned on the light.

What greeted me when I walked in, however, made me jump backwards and hit my back on the closed door. Sebastian was perched at the edge of my bed, practically twiddling his thumbs with the look of utter boredom that was plastered on his face.

"You didn't show up."

I let out a scream.

* * *

**A.N: Ta-da! Sebby's just so creepy when he can scare Ciel like that XD**

**Reviews are love!**


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